Failing to react in time to stop a point-blank breakaway shot is far more forgivable than letting an opponent blow by you in the neutral zone. There's a reason most people give goalies a pass for allowing a breakaway goal. Stopping a breakaway is mostly a matter of maintaining good position (which Jimmy did) and hoping the shooter hits you or misses the net (which Richards didn't).

Not attempting to make a save is not attempting to make a save, regardless of whether it's a breakaway or not.

You can blame everyone else on the team for not bailing Hudler out, but the fact is Richards was Hudler's assignment defensively. Again, not terrible. Not like I'm calling him lazy or saying he gave up on the play. He's just slow.

Got it. In situations like that, only one defenseman should be trying to get to the puck, even if his partner is much faster and could beat him (and any opposing player) to it.

"I've never seen a warlock do that without his magic.""I once devoured a monk's soul. It tasted like chocolate."

Reading this thread was harder than Ron Jeremy in his prime. The absurd blinders were so over the top it's ridiculous.

I'm not a Hudler Hater, nor a blind defender, but the Richards goal was completely his fault. That being said, I do think he's played pretty well on the PP (as good as any forward on the point in the passed few years) and I think he's been getting some chances that haven't been going in.

Reading this thread was harder than Ron Jeremy in his prime. The absurd blinders were so over the top it's ridiculous.

I'm not a Hudler Hater, nor a blind defender, but the Richards goal was completely his fault. That being said, I do think he's played pretty well on the PP (as good as any forward on the point in the passed few years) and I think he's been getting some chances that haven't been going in.

Got it. So blind passes to our defensive zone, lazy skating when trying to defend such, and not attempting to stop a shot are now acceptable behaviors; at least when Hudler is the victim of the ensuing play because everyone is a big fan of hating on him no matter how hard he tries. Did ANYONE notice he was the only player trying to stop Richards from scoring?

"I've never seen a warlock do that without his magic.""I once devoured a monk's soul. It tasted like chocolate."

[font="'Book Antiqua"]Got it. So blind passes to our defensive zone, lazy skating when trying to defend such, and not attempting to stop a shot are now acceptable behaviors; at least when Hudler is the victim of the ensuing play because everyone is a big fan of hating on him no matter how hard he tries. Did ANYONE notice he was the only player trying to stop Richards from scoring?[/font]

Well yes, that's bound to happen when Richards was Hudler's responsibility. Hudler was the only player on the ice even remotely in position to stop Richards. What's Kronwall supposed to do? Cover Hudler's point on the powerplay too?

Well yes, that's bound to happen when Richards was Hudler's responsibility. Hudler was the only player on the ice even remotely in position to stop Richards. What's Kronwall supposed to do? Cover Hudler's point on the powerplay too?

When the puck cleared the blueline, if Kronwall had started skating as hard as Hudler did, he has that puck way before Richards or Hudler get there. There were also no forwards anywhere near the play. It was basically Hudler trying to stop a much larger Richards, Kronwall coasting off to the side watching, and the forwards just kind of going "meh, whatever. Hey guys (to the Kings) wanna go get a drink while this happens?"

"I've never seen a warlock do that without his magic.""I once devoured a monk's soul. It tasted like chocolate."

When the puck cleared the blueline, if Kronwall had started skating as hard as Hudler did, he has that puck way before Richards or Hudler get there. There were also no forwards anywhere near the play. It was basically Hudler trying to stop a much larger Richards, Kronwall coasting off to the side watching, and the forwards just kind of going "meh, whatever. Hey guys (to the Kings) wanna go get a drink while this happens?"

You're so blind it's pointless to try and make you listen to reason.

It's hilarious that this whole exchange is due to your complete inability to just admit that Hudler is a slow skater, and that his skating can be a liability at times.

Got it. So blind passes to our defensive zone, lazy skating when trying to defend such, and not attempting to stop a shot are now acceptable behaviors; at least when Hudler is the victim of the ensuing play because everyone is a big fan of hating on him no matter how hard he tries. Did ANYONE notice he was the only player trying to stop Richards from scoring?

You're dilusional. Every time you're in one of these absurd defend-Hudler-to-the-death modes and I decide to chime in I make it abundantly clear that I don't blindly hate on him and that I want him to succeed. You like to chastize everyone for their assumed blind hatred but can't, even for a second, take note of the fact that you're at the complete opposite end of the spectrum with your complete blind infatuation.

There are some of us posters who look at Hudler objectively (as much as possible) and some times applaud what he does and some times knock what he does. You, like a few others around here, talk as though your opinions are facts. Sorry to break the news but they aren't. It is not a fact that Kronwall skated back lazily. It is not a fact it as a blind pass to the point. It is not a fact that Howard was not attempting to stop the puck. Those are your twisted, dilusional opinions.

Even if by some stroke of assanine absurdity I conceeded that Kronwall was lazy on that play, that Cleary made a blind pass, and that Howard didn't try, the fact remains that Richards was Hudler's man. Hudler chose to stay at the blueline and try and stop the puck with his stick. He screwed it up and let his responisbility go. Powerplay or not, Hudler (just as everyone else) should be thnking defense first. He missed the puck and got burnt, badly, by Richards.

Eva, you can sit there all you want and be the world's biggest Hudler apologist (and sometimes, although few and far between, I think you get a tough label as being too pro-Hudler and I actually agree, at least in principle, with some of the things you say) but you're no better than the blind idiotic Leaf fans who have been claiming 'this is the Leafs year to win the cup' for the last 20 years. Try taking a look at things objectively for once because it's become insanly obvious that you think Hudler can absolutely do no wrong.

I don't get how posting a video of Hudler borderline turtling and being ragdolled is proof that he's gritty?

I wouldn't call it turtling or being ragdolled. It was pretty much even until his teammate knocked his skate out from under him coming back to "protect" him. At that point the refs were involved. And it wasn't really much of a fight, more of a push-fest.

"I've never seen a warlock do that without his magic.""I once devoured a monk's soul. It tasted like chocolate."